Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)
Chaired by Parliamentary Secretary for Economic Corridor Development Shane Getson, the committee will support the Alberta government’s work to develop economic corridors and enhance trade between Alberta and India.
This will include providing strategic insight and advice on areas of mutual benefit between Alberta and India, including energy, agriculture, technology, film and television, tourism, aerospace, talent mobility and more.
The committee held its first meeting on June 12 and will convene quarterly.
“Diversifying Alberta’s global partnerships is key to building a strong, resilient economy. India’s size, growth and global influence make it a strategic priority, and this committee will ensure we’re taking practical steps to expand our reach and deliver results.”
“Economic corridor development is more than commodities and infrastructure; it’s about building long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships. India is a huge fast-growing market with many Albertans having strong connections there. We want to leverage those relationships to create economic corridors that will last for generations. After all, fortune favours the bold.”
While Alberta has a long history of international partnership and collaboration with regions around the globe, this is the first time Alberta has struck an advisory committee focused on enhancing our province’s economic corridors with a specific market.
The committee is advisory in nature and members participate on a voluntary basis without renumeration.
Committee members
The committee has nine members:
- Parliamentary Secretary for Economic Corridor Development Shane Getson (chair)
- Mr. Radhe Gupta, founder and CEO, Rohit Group (member designate)
- Mr. Harish Consul, founder and CEO, Ocgrow Ventures (member designate)
- Ms. Ilona Maitra, senior business development officer, Palliser Group and CMO, Let’sGameNow (member designate)
- Dr. Amit Kumar, professor of mechanical engineering, University of Alberta (member designate)
- Mr. Rajeev Mittal, director, HK Consultants Inc. (member designate)
- Mr. Puneet Manchanda, manager, Enbridge, and president, Council of India Societies of Edmonton (member designate)
- Mr. Buta Singh Rehill, entrepreneur (member designate)
- Mr. Francis Aranha, district manager, Compass Group (member designate)
Quick facts
- Alberta has had an international office in India, collocated with the High Commission of Canada in New Delhi, since 2014.
- India is currently the fifth largest economy in the world and was the seventh largest export market for Alberta in 2024.
- Alberta’s exports to India were approximately $611.5 million in 2024, and consisted primarily of vegetables, nickel, energy products, iron and steel, wood pulp, plastics, machinery and mechanical appliances.
- Alberta’s imports from India were approximately $510.5 million in 2024, and consisted primarily of iron or steel, machinery, rubber, electronics and textiles.
- Indian technology companies such as MPhasis, Wipro Solutions, Tech Mahindra, Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys have opened offices in Alberta in the past few years.
- The Universities of Alberta, Calgary and Lethbridge, as well as other post-secondary institutions in Alberta, have established collaborative agreements with various post-secondary institutions in India allowing for intellectual capital and talent exchange.
- According to the 2021 Census by Statistics Canada, 122,145 Alberta residents identified as having Indian ethnic or cultural origins – the third-largest Indo-Canadian population in Canada (after Ontario and British Columbia).